commissar

UK: /ˈkɒmɪˌsɑː/ US: /ˈkɑməˌsɑr/ ,(kom′ə sär′, kom′ə sär′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•mis•sar /ˈkɑməˌsɑr/   n. [countable]

1. Government the head of a major governmental division in the former U.S.S.R.
2. Government an official in a communist government whose duties include political training and teaching.

See -mis-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•mis•sar  (kom′ə sär′, kom′ə sär′), n. 

1. Government the head of any of the major governmental divisions of the U.S.S.R.: called minister since 1946.
2. Government an official in any communist government whose duties include political indoctrination, detection of political deviation, etc.

• Medieval Latin commissārius commissary
• German Kommissar
• Russian komissár
• 1915–20

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

commissar / ˈkɒmɪˌsɑː ˌkɒmɪˈsɑː/ noun (in the former Soviet Union)

1. Also called: political commissar an official of the Communist Party responsible for political education, esp in a military unit
2. Also called: People's Commissar (before 1946) the head of a government department

Etymology: 20th Century: from Russian kommissar, from German, from Medieval Latin commissārius commissary